Why Doesn’t Hawaii Get Hurricanes Very Often?

In this handout from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Kilo, Hurricane Ignacio and Hurricane Jimena churn August 31, 2015 in the Pacific Ocean. None of the three storms impacted Hawaii directly.

Does Hawaii get hurricanes?

Like any tropical location, Hawaii isn’t completely immune from hurricanes. But a few key factors lower that risk substantially. First, perhaps the most obvious is that the islands are very small target in a large ocean.

But another factor protects the islands: its cooler water temperature. Hurricanes thrive on warm, tropical waters and need it to maintain their strength. The water temperature drops from the east Pacific (where the hurricanes start to form) to the central Pacific and the deep waters surrounding Hawaii. It’s only a difference of a few degrees, but it’s enough to send a hurricane sputtering out.

The final factor is the North Pacific High, a high-pressure system located to the northeast of Hawaii approximately 75 percent of the time. That system provides trade winds and keeps the islands’ climate breezy and less humid, but also stops hurricanes from frequently approaching the islands.

“The North Pacific High acts as a fan and helps to steer the approaching hurricanes coming in from the East Pacific,” explains Guy Hagi, weather anchor at Hawaii News Now. “When that high relaxes, like a fan moving away, that allows that hurricane to bend up a little more closer to us. That’s the case with Hurricane Lane.”

Hurricane Lane approaches Hawaii

Hurricane Lane, reporting sustained winds of 145 mph, is set to make landfall or pass very close to the islands from Thursday through Friday. Residents of the islands are preparing for a major weather event they rarely experience.